US1705939A - Engine starter - Google Patents

Description

March 19, 1929. w, L, .MCGRATH 1,705,939

ENGINE STARTER Filed July 15, 1927 2 Sheets-sheet l fo Q94 March 19, 1929. w. 1 MCGRATH ENGINE STARTER Filed July l5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar; 19; 1929.

winnaars L, menare, or animan, new Yoan; assrenon 'ro ncmrsn raacnmn comraar, or nriurnannw Yoan, a conrona'rron or naw rena.

ENGINE STARTER.

Application led July 15,

`My invention relates to engine starting apparatus for the starting of internal combustion engines, more particularly but not necessarily automobileeng'ines, and the object thereof is to provide a simple, eflicient, and reliable apparatus characterized by a drlve of the manual shift type composed of'a driving member or pinion adapted to engage a member of the .engine to be started, such lo as a flywheel, a control member or nut thread-` ed upon a longitudinally movable sleeve and having a friction clutch interposed between the driving memberand control member, and further characterized by the revision of novel means for shifting the rive proper longitudinally to bring the driving member into engagement with the engine member and ,also means which is extraneous to the drive proper and which is actuated by said shifting means for slightly rotating such drive, more particularly the driving member 1n the event of abutting of the driving member and engine member.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation vpartly in section of an engine starting'apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 a section of the drive proper and shifting means; p y i l Fig' an end elevation of the drive proper; Fig. 4 a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 an end elevation of one of the shifter sleeves;

Fig. 6 a side elevation of I such shifter sleeve; Fig. 7 a section of the control member or nut taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 8; Fig'. 8 an end view of such nut; A j Fig. 9 an elevation of the screw shaft or sleeve alone; p Y E ig. 10 an end elevation thereof and Fig. 11 an end elevation of the nut and its disk. y

Referring to the particular embodiment of my invention as herein shown and selected r for the purposes of a clear anddefinite description, the prime mover is in the form of an electric motor 1 and as the particular construction'herein shown is the so-called direct drive, the rotatable driving shaft 2 for the drive comprises the extended armature shaftof themotor. A casingor bracket 3 extends from the frame of themotor and at its outer end, the same is provi'ded with a bearing 4 for the outer end of such shaft 2.

192'?. Serial No. 205,899.

This casing also forms a support for a shifting lever 5 which is pivoted to such casing or bracket at 6 and which extends n ing with its lower end 7 in a vposition to engage the shifting means. hereinafter described. This lever 5 is provided with an angular arm 8 which in its oscillating travel in a clockwise direction is adapted to contact and operate the button 9 wise shown of tlieelectric motor for supplying such motor with current and cutting it ott therefrom. rlhis lever 5 is adapted to be manually or pedally operated by the operator through suitable linkage or `operating connections which are of the usual character and therefore not required tobe shown, except that one of the rods 10 thereof is .illustrated` in Fig. 1. The term manually will be hereinafter employed generically to include pedal operation, as well as manual operation. This casing 3 is secured to the frame of the electric motor in a suitable manner as by means of the screws 11.

The drive proper is an assembly together with the shifting means, and thel same is adapted to be slipped upon the driving shaft 2 before the casing 3 is applied and secured to the motor, and such drive is so mounted int'o the casof a switch not otheras to slide upon such shaft and to be driven thereby.

The drive proper comprises a sleeve 12 which is mounted upon the shaft 2 :tor longitudinal movementthereof and rotary movement therewith, such result being accomplished in the present instance by means of the splines 13 on the shaft 2 and the corresponding grooves 14 in the bore of the sleeve 12. This sleeve is .provi ed at its outer-or left-hand end with suitable stop means which is here in the form of a nut 15 screwing u'pon the end thereof and secured rmly thereto. The sleeve is provided with a screw threaded portion ldcomposed of shortlead threads and at its inner orright-hand end it has an lenlarged shell extension 17 provided with adapted lwhen shifted longitudinally to the left to engage the engine member which is here in the form of a flywheel 20 having peripheral teeth 21 'for engagement with the pinion 18.

The control member is in the form ot a nut 22 which is threaded upon the screw 'threaded portion 16 oit the sleeve 12 `and the same is provided at Aits lett-hand end with a cupshaped disk rllhese two parts are made separate, but are suitabl"v and lirmly Vsecured together. A light torsion spring 24 encircles the nut 22. and the sleeve l2 and the same is 'fastened at its opposite ends to such nut and sleeve respectively.

Between the pinion 18 and nut and operv atively connected with both of them, there is positioned a iiriction clutch which is composed of two sets o'l: plates 25 and 26, the lorn'iei' set being splined to a hub extension ol'the pinion and the other set to the longitudinally extending portion ot the disk Q3 oit the nut. A ring 27 is preferably interposed between the disk Q3 and the first of the clutch plates 26. Suitable means are provided Vlor Iretaining the clutch assembly upon the piirn ion, and as shown, a spring ring or ivire t'is employed, the same base oi two of the outermost plates 26 at the righbhand end o'l the clutch plates and engagging an inner groove in the hub extension ot the pinion. A. shell Q9 encloses the clutch plates and the same` is held astened'to the disk Q3 in a suitable manner as by means ot a spring` ring or wire 30. linasmuch as all the lclutch plates, except the plate 25 adjacent the pinion teeth and the member QB are held together by this shell 29, the entire clutch assembly will be retained upon the pinion no matter where the ring Q8 may be located longitudinally, so long as it is behind the second clutch plate, and, as shown, it is behind the fourth inner clutch plate 2t telerri-ng to the means for shifting the drive longitudinally and also partially rotatiner the same, the same comprise in the present instance two eooperatingA sleeves, such as tho shiliter sleeve 'l and-an intermediate sleeve- ?ii. 'lh-e sleeve. 3l is provided with parallel flanges 3?) between which the inner end T ot the shifting lever 5 operates and by which it is operatively connected with the sleeve ill. 'this latter sleeve has a pin and inclined slot. connection with the sleeve 32, the pins beinter located in the sleeve 3l andthe slots 235 being located in the sleeve 32, whereby the sleeve 32 can partake of both a longitudinal and an enforced rotary movement as hereinafter explained. rlhese pins 'lllalso -pass through the longitudinal slots 1T in the eX- tension 17 ot the screw' sleeve, upon whose periphery the sleeve 82 is mounted to slide.

A springf retainer in the lorm ot a shell B6 is connected with the lett-hand end ofthe sleeve 32 and a thimble 37 is held by the pins 3st and B4 in a position at the right-hand end of siiclnsleeve 32. A eompressiiin spring' 258 is interposed between this shell 3G and thimble,

being located at theifi/casse vention to transmit such rotary movement to the nut 22 and thereby to the entire drive inleliidinp)` the pinion 18 so as to relieve the latter 'from a eonditionet abuttingagainst the end oi the lyiif'heel teeth and permit of the.

registry of such teeth and the consequent meshing oi' the pinion and flywheel. its herein shown, the sleeve 32 is provided. at its left-hand end with an inwardly directed.

llange Si) on whose outer 'tace there is provid ed a ring` of projections oi teeth 40 which are adapted to engage a similar ring of projections or teeth ll on the adjacent or right-hand end of the nut 2Q, wher-el y any partial rotation of the sleeve is transmitted to the nut 22 and to the parts cooperating` therewith including' the pinion 1S.

Describing a cycle of operation oit the appaiatiis and beginning with their parts in their normal position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, when it is desired to crank and start the engine, the operator oscillates the lever 5 in a clockwise direction thereby shifting the sleeves 3l and 32, and consequently the entire drive assembly to the lett and bringing the pinion 18 into mesh with the flywheel.

llVlien full or substantially 'ull mesh ol' the pinion is obtained, the switch is operated by the lever 5 and the motor is energized whereupon the `shaft l will be rotated and the torque will be transmitted therefrom by the drive to the flywheel through the sleeve 12, iiiit 2Q, friction clutch and pinion.-

ln the event that abut the flywheel teeth end to end, thereby arresting' the longitudinal movement o'l' the drive, the longitudinal movement ot the shilter sleeve 3l will continue bec-.inse ot the provision of the, yielding lost drive movement through the spring 23S and as the sleeve Ell is connected with the sleeve li'tlirough the pin and inclined slot connection described. and as the screw sleeve ll is now prevented from rotation by the en atgeiiient of the pins 3ft and the longitudinal slots li iii such screw sleeve, the sleeve 32 will not only be advanced longitudinally' so as to bring the teeth Ll() and 41 into engagement, but the same will thereupon be slightl y rotated with the result that the nut 22 will be rotated by such eX- traneous means and will be rotated to an the abutting condition likewise the pinion 1S and bring` about register between the pinion teeth and l v' wheel teeth whereupon the spring 88 which had been compressed duringl this state of the operation will 'liorce the entire drive assembly forward so that the pinion is in mesh with the flywheel gear. This result is accomplished by such registeriii,Y means as an incident to the pinion teeth should extent siil'ticient to break lOl) lll)

the operation of the means for shifting4 the drive longitudinally along the driving shaft 2.

When the engine st-arts on its own power. the operator should release his pressure on the lever 5, whereupon these shifting con-l nections through the medium of a spring' not shown will retract the entire drivev assembly including the shifter means combined therewith and return them to the normal position shown in Fig. l. lf the operator should fail or delay to release such pressure on the operating connections, no harm will be done to the drive or to the motory by the rapid or excess rotation of the pinion 18 by the engine, inasmuch as such excess rotation will cause the nut 22 to back off slightly andrelieve the clutching pressure between the clutch plates so that the pinion will rotate freely and without transmitting any of the torque from the engine.

I claim z l. An engine starter including a' rotatable drive shaft, and adrive mounted thereon and driven thereby including` a sleeve mounted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith,.a driving member carried by said sleeve and adapted to be shifted longitudinally to engage a member of the engine o be started, a control member mountedK on the sleeve for longi tudinal movementthereof and rotary movement therewith, a torque transmitting connection between thedriving member andthe control member, means for longitudinally shifting said drive, and means operating as an incident to the operation of the shifting Ameans for slightly rotating one of said members in the event that the driving member should abut and not engage the engine member.

2. An engine starter including a rotatable drive shaft, and a drive mounted thereon anddriven thereby. including a sleeve lmounted on the .shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a driving member carried by said sleeve and adapted to be shifted longitudinally to engage a memberI of the engine to be started, a control member mounted on the sleeve for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a torque transmitting connection between the driving member and the control member, means for slightly rotating, as an incident to the longitudinal movement of the drive, one of said members in the event that the driving member should abut and not engage the engine member, and means for holding the sleeve from rotation during suchV rotation of one of said members.

3. An engine starter including a. rotatable .drive shaft, and a. drive mounted thereon and driven thereby including a sleeve mount ed on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, `a

driving member adapted to'be shifted longitudinally toengage a member of the engine to be started, a control member mountedy on the sleeve for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a torque transmitting connection between the driving member-and the control member, and means acting on the control' member for slightly rotating it and consequently the driving member in the event that the driving membershould engage thev engine member.

4. An engine starter' including a rotatable drive shaft, and al drive mounted thereon and driven thereby including a sleeve vmounted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a driving member carried by said sleeve and adapted to be shifted longitudinally to engage a member of the engine to be started, a control member mounted on the sleeve for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a torque transmitting connection between the driving member and the contro]i member, and means comprising a` manna ly operated element operably connected with the sleeve for normally. shifting it longitudinally and to partially rotate the driving member should it abut and not v'engage the engine member.

5. An engine starter including a rotatable -drive shaft, anda drive mounted thereon and driven thereby including a sleeve mounted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a drivin-g member carried by said sleeve and adapted to be shifted longitudinally to en# gage a member of the engine to be started, a control'member mounted on the sleeve for longitudinalmovement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a torque transmitting connection between the driving member and the control member, and means comprising a second sleeve operably connected with the first sleeve, a manually' operated element having a pin and inclined slot connection with the second sleeve and mounted for longitudinal n'iovenlent to longitudinally shift said first sleeve, driving member, control member and clutch and adapted to cause by reason of said pin and slot connection slight rotary movement of said parts mounted on the first sleeve. f

6. An engine starter including a rotatable drive shaft,'anda drive mounted thereon and ,drivenrthereby including a sleeve mounted on `,.the shaft for longitudinal movement thereof andy rotary movement therewith, a 'driving membercarried by said sleeve and adapted to be shifted longitudinally to en* gage amember of the engine to be started, a *control .member longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movementtherewith, a torque transmitting connection interposed between the` driving carried by said sleeve and,

abut and not mounted on the sleeve for Uli member' and the control member', and means comprising a second sleeveoperably connected with the tirst sleeve, a manually operated third sleeve slidL ble on said shaft and having pin and inclined slot connection with the second sleeve whereby the latterA sleeve is slightly rotated by the stoppage of longitudinal movement of the driving member and the continued longitudinal movement of the third sleeve.

7. An engine starter including a rotatable drive shaft, and a drive mounted thereon and driven thereby including' a sleeve mounted on the shaft for thereof and rotary movement therewith, a driving` member carried by said sleeve and adapted to be shifted longitudinally to engage a member of the engine to be started, a control member mounted on the sleeve for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement' therewith, a 'torque transmitting connection interposed between the driving member and the control member, and means comprising a second lsleeve operably connected with the tirst sleeve, a manually operated third sleeve slidable on said shaft and having pin andinclined slot connection with the second sleeve whereby the latter sleeve slightly rotated by the stoppage of longitudinal movement of the drivingl member and the continued longitudinal movement ot' the third sleeve, and yieldingl means for holding the second and third sleeves in a normal relative positioni 8. An vengine starter including a rotatable drive shaft, and a drive mounted thereon and driven thereby including a sleeve mounted on the shaft for loi'ieitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a driving member carried by said sleeve and adapted to be shifted longitudinally to engage a member ot" the engine to be started, a control meinber mounted ou the sleeve for lotigitudiual movement thereof and rotary luoven'ieut, therewith, a torque transmitting connection interposed between the driving` member and the control member, and means comprising;C a second sleeve operably connected with the first sleeve, a manually operated third sleeve slidable on said yshaft and having piu and inclined slot connection with the second `sleeve whereby the latter sleeve slightly rotated by the stoppage of longitudinal movement of the driving;y member and the continued longitudinal movement of the third sleeve. said second and third sleeves beingr adapted to telescope one into the other, and yielding means for holding` such second and third sleeves in a normal relative position longitudinally and rotarily.

t). An engine starter including` a rotatable drive shaft, and a drive mounted thereon and driven thereby including asleeve mounted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movementV therewith, a

longitudinal movement'A arenoso driving `member carried by said sleeve and adapted to be shifted longitudinally to engage a member of the engine-to be started, a control member mounted on the sleeve vfor longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a torque transmitting connection between the driving member and the control member, and means comprising; a second sleeve operably connected with'the tirst sleeve and adapted to engage the control meinber for rotary movement, and a manually operated third sleeve mounted for lonleitudinal movement on said shaft and operably connected with the second sleeve for shifting; it longitudinally and for rotating it in the event of stoppage of longitudinal movement of said control member. i

ttl. An cucine starter including` drive shaft, and a drive mounted thereon and driven thereby including` a sleeve mounted on the shaft for loi'igitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a driving1 member carried by said sleeve and adapted to he shifted longitudinally to en gage a member of the engine to be started, a control member mounted on the sleeve for longitudinalmovement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a torque transmitting` connection interposed between the driving member and the control member and adapted to be clamped by the latter against-the drivingr member for the transmission of torque `from the shaft and sleeve to the driving member, and means comprising,` a second sleeve mounted to slide on the tirst sleeve and operably connected therewith and adapted to cngage the control member for rotary movement, and a manually operated third sleeve operably connected withithe second sleeve by pin and inclined slot connection for lon- ;itudinal movement of such second sleeve' and for partial rotary mmement thereof wl en the longitudinal movement ot' the driv inc; member is arrested.

l1. [tu engine starter including' a rotatable drive shaft` a drive including` a sleeve splined ou the shaft', a pinion mounted on one end of said sleeve, said sleeve being adapted to be shifted loiuritudinally to bring;` the pinion into mesh with a member o' the engine to be started, a nut threaded on the sleeve, a. torque transmitting connection intcrposed between the pinion and nut, and means for slightly rotating the nut in the event that the pinion and engine member should abut and not mesh.

12. An engine starter including a rotatable drive shaft', a drive including, a sleeve s'plined on the shaft, a pinion mounted on one end of said sleeve, said sleeve beingy adapted to be shifted longitudinally to bring` the pinion into mesh with a member of the engine to be started, a nut threaded on the sleeve, a torque transmitting connection interposed between the pinion and nut, and manually operated l a rotatable ltlt) llt) mechanism for shifting thesleeve longitudinally including means for slightly rotating the nut in the event that such longitudinal shifting of the pinion is arrested.

torque transmitting connection between thel pinion and nut, and two manually operated longitudinally movable sleeves one of which is operably connected with the firstsleeve and is adapted for slight rotary movement asan incident tothe stoppage of its longitudinal movement and the continuedl longitudinal movement of its -companion sleeve. y

A14. An engine starter including a rotatable .drive shaft, a drive including a sleeve splined on the shaft, a pinion mounted on one end of said sleeve, said sleeve being adapted 'to be shifted longitudinally to bring the.pin ion into mesh with a member of the engine to be started, a nut threaded on the sleeve, a torque transmitting connection interposedv between the pinion and nut, and means for slightly rotating the nut in the event that the pinion and engine member should abut and not mesh, said means comprising a second sleeve operably connected with the first sleeve, and a third sleeve which is manually operable and connected with the second sleeve by pin and inclined slot connection.

15. An engine starter including a rotatable drive shaft, a drive including a sleeve splined on the shaft, a'pinion mounted on one end of said sleeve, said sleeve being adapted to be shifted longitudinally to bring the pinion into mesh wit-h a member of the engine to be started, a nut threaded on the sleeve, a torque transmitting connection interposed between the pinion and nut, and' means for slightly rotating the nut in the event that the pinion and engine member should abut and not mesh, said means comprising-a second sleeve operably connected with the first sleeve, and a third sleeve which is manually operable and connected with the second sleeve by pin and inclined slot connection, and a spring for holding the second and third sleeves in a normal relative position.

16.n engine starter including a retable drive shaft, a drive including a sleeve splined on the shaft, a pinion mounted on one end of said sleeve, said sleeve being adapted to be shifted longitudinally to bring the pinion into mesh with a member of the engine to be started, a nutthreaded on the sleeve, a torque transmitting connection' interposed between the pinion andl nut, and means for slightly rotating the nut in the event that the pinion and engine member should abut and not mesh, lsaid means comprising a second sleeve operably connected with the first sleeve, and a third sleeve which is manually operable and connected with the second sleeve by pin and inclined slot connection, said pin vbeing carried by the third sleeve and the slot being in the second sleeve, a spring retainer connected with the second sleeve, a thimble connected w-ith said pin, and a spring arranged between said retainer and thimble to hold the second and third sleeves in a normal relative position. 4

17. An engine starter including a rotatable drive shaft, a drive including a sleeve splined t on the shaft, a pinion mounted on one end of said sleeve, said sleeve being adapted to be shifted longitudinally to bring the pinion into mesh with a member of the engine to be started, a nut threaded on the sleeve, a torque transmitting connection interposed between the pinion' and nut, and means for slightly rotating the nut in the event that the pinion and engine member should abut and not mesh, said means comprising a second sleeve operably connected with the first sleeve, and a third sleeve which is manually operable and connected with the second sleeve by pin and inclined slot connection, said nut being in the path of longitudinal movement of the second sleeve and adapted to be engaged and partially rotated by the l'atter.

18. An engine starter including a rotat able drive shaft, a drive including a sleeve splined on the shaft, a pinion mounted on one end of saidsleeve, said slee/vebeingadapted to be shifted longitudinally to bring the pinion into mesh with a member of the engine to be started, a nut threaded on the sleeve, a

Vable and connected with the second sleeve by pin and inclined slot connect-ion, said nut being in the pat-h of longitudinal movement of the second sleeve, the adjacent faces of the nut and second sleeve having teeth.

19. An engine starter including a rotatable drive shaft, and a drive mounted thereon and e driven thereby including a sleeve mounted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a driving ineinber carried by said sleeve and adaptedto be shifted longitudinally to engage a member of the engine to be started, a control member mounted on the sleeve for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a torque transmitting connection interposed between the driving member and I the control'member. and means comprising' a second sleeve operably connected with the first sleeve, a manually operated third sleeve slidable on said shaft and having pin and inclined slot connection with the seeonil sleeve and having pin and straight slot connection With the lirst sleeve, whereby the second is slightly rotated by the stoppage of longitudinal movement oit the driving member and the continued longitudinal movement of the third sleeve and the lirst sleeve is helol from rotation during this time, and yielding means for holding the second and third sleeves in u normal relative position. 10

lin testimony whereof, l have subscribed my name.

Wi'LLiAM L. Mcemfrn.

Images